Big D is at full capacity and this will be the biggest and best event to date. If you plan to have any guests with you that you did not let me know about tell them to not make the trip as they will not be allowed to the site with us.

If conditions continue as they have been on site this month a record could be there for the taking. As I type this message to you the wind at Ivanpah is constant at 15 mph with gusts to 27. It is clear and 57 degrees. More on the weather later…

If you plan to practice before Saturday at Ivanpah you will need to obtain a permit from the California Bureau of Land Management. Email me and I will send you the contact information at the BLM but you need to do so at least 10 days prior to the event. I would suggest practicing at Roach Dry Lake which is only 1.5 miles away on the south west side of interstate 15 and the conditions will be very similar to what you will experience at Ivanpah and you do not need a permit as it is a day use recreational facility.

We plan to meet Saturday morning at 9:00 am in front of the registration desk at Whiskey Pete’s. We will head out to the site shortly after. You can reach me on my cell phone at 714-488-1042. Entry fees will be requested at this time for the players that chose to sign up with a credit card as they have not been charged. You will also need to sign the competition waiver at this time (copy is at the end of this letter). If you have questions please let me know now as the waiver is not editable
and if you do not sign it you will not be allowed to participate.

Disc Golf Values has been able to sell Innova CFR discs and along with the $20 from the entry fees ($10 of the $30 goes to WFDF) the proposed payout (if all the players that have registered attend) will be as below. You do not need to declare a division. You will receive the largest payout that you would qualify for but only one payout per player. If you have questions let me know.

Open Men - First place $500
Second place $200
Third place $100

Open Women (2 or more competitors) - First place $150
Second place $50

Master Men - First place $200
Second place $100

Grandmaster Men (2 or more competitors) - First place $50

Grandmaster Women (2 or more competitors) - First place $50

Each competitor will need to mark the throws of another competitor.
We do not have staff to handle this task.

Weather and scheduling:
If we have issues with rain or water retention for the lake bed, we are not allowed to use Ivanpah at all if it is wet. The only secondary site is Roach Dry Lake which is 1.5 miles north of Ivanpah. The surface is not as smooth and flat as Ivanpah but I will work. If it is raining or there is lightning the decision to change sites to Roach or skip competition for that day will be done that morning.

If we can’t compete on Saturday the schedule will change to Sunday qualifying and Monday as the finals. If we can’t compete on Sunday the finals will be pushed to Monday. If we can’t compete on Monday that will be a lost chance to break the record and that day will not be made up.

The weather in this remote part of the desert can change quickly. You can expect conditions to range from highs in the upper 50’s during the day to highs in the mid 80’s. The wind can be screaming at over 30 mph or it can be dead calm. All of this can take place in one day! Let’s hope for the best but we will have to deal with conditions as they are. Again, there is no back up site beyond Roach that we can use if it is raining or if the lake beds are retaining water.

We are not allowed to drive on Ivanpah at all. We will drive to the edge of the lake bed and walk out to where we will set up to throw. There is no shade on the lake bed or anywhere close to it and if the wind is blowing we will not set up any EZ Ups for shelter as we have had them go tumbling in the past and have broken a few. Bring sunscreen and some form of folding chair if you can. If you have any walkie talkies please bring them as communication via yelling at 200+ meters does not work. I have two sets to use but with the full field we will more than likely need to run 2 throwing lines on Saturday and this will make that much easier.

Requested supplies (if you can bring any of this that would be great):

We need to practice “leave no trace” camping. This means anything you bring out you bring back. There are no restrooms on site but the hotel is within a few minute’s drive.

Competition waiver:
For consideration of my entry and participation in Big D in the Desert and the World Flying Disc Federation Distance Championships, I, the undersigned, intending to be legally bound, do herby for myself, my heirs, executors and administrators, waive and release any and all rights and claims for damages which I may have against Disc Golf Values (event host) and their agents and representatives, successors, employees, assigns and/or sponsors of this event and the Bureau of Land Management overseeing Ivanpah Dry Lake for any and all injuries or illnesses suffered by me as a result of my participation in this event. I attest and verify that I am physically fit to participate in this competition and hereby assume the risks associated with my participation. By my signature I also grant full permission to Disc Golf Values and their assigns to use any photographs, videotapes, motion pictures, recordings or any record of this event for any purpose whatsoever.